Goodwin, Skole, Souza and Mirowski all played with AA Harrisburg this season. Solis, Purke and Benincasa are rostered at High-A Potomac.

Goodwin, 22, was the 34th overall pick of the 2011 Amateur Draft and will make his second appearance at the AFL. He’s hitting .251/.350/.403 with 10 homers and 18 SBs this season in 115 games with Harrisburg.

Skole, 24, hit 27 homers in 2012 but has missed most of the season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, an injury sustained in a freak accident fielding a ball at first base. Nieto, 23, was lauded as a good handler of pitches when drafted by the Nats, but faced a 50-game PED suspension in 2011 which slowed his development. He’s hitting .289/.375/.455 with 11 homers in 106 games this season. Souza, 24, has struggled with shoulder issues his entire minor league career, but has put together a solid season in AA, hitting .285/.381/.545 in 70 games.

Solis, 25, is in his first season back from Tommy John surgery and is 2-0 with a 2.72 ERA and 1.226 WHIP in 12 games in High-A. He was the Nats second round pick in 2010. Purke, 23, has put up with lingering shoulder troubles from an injury in college, but has started 11 games for the P-Nats and has gone 5-4 with a 4.82 ERA and 1.429 WHIP. Benincasa, 22, has 15 saves in 23 games for Potomac and strikes out 10.3 per nine innings. Mirowski, 24, was 8-3 with six saves in 32 games with the P-Nats and 1-0 with a 2.73 ERA in 10 games with Harrisburg.

Welcome back to District Sports Page’s weekly Minor League Update. Throughout the regular season we will continue to post up-to-date stats and brief scouting reports on the hottest and coldest prospects in the Nationals’ minor league system. We also will track the progress of top-rated players in this columb, and give injury and suspension updates.

Here are some of the system’s notable performances from the first week of May:

Welcome back to District Sports Page’s weekly Minor League Update. Throughout the regular season we will continue to post up-to-date stats and brief scouting reports on the hottest and coldest prospects in the Nationals’ minor league system. We also will track the progress of top-rated players, and give injury and suspension updates.

So far this season, the Nationals’ minor league system has continued to be one of the most productive and exciting in pro baseball. Flashy young stars like Brian Goodwin and Anthony Rendon are off to loud starts, while an arms race of young pitchers has torn-through opposing lineups, resulting in heaps of strikeouts.

Things got even more interesting on Saturday though. The Nationals announced that they had promoted Rendon, who is widely considered one of the premier prospects in minors, to Washington to make his highly anticipated MLB debut. While the former Dick Howser Award winner was originally slated to spend at least the first few months of the regular season in the minors at double-A Harrisburg, Ryan Zimmerman’s recent injury and Rendon’s hot-hitting apparently forced the front office’s hand. Regardless, this is yet another exciting development in a system full of exciting developments. Rendon follows a long line of homegrown stars on the Nats big-league roster, graduating after the likes of Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg, Ian Desmond, Jordan Zimmermann, Drew Storen, Bryce Harper and others.

Though Rendon’s promotion has grabbed the attention of the Nats faithful, the club has plenty of other thrilling minor-league storylines. Here are a few of them–hot off the presses:

With full-season teams now in to the second-week of their 2013 campaigns, clubs are starting to get a feel for their minor-league talent. Many re-buidling big league teams are preparing to call-up their top prospects in just a couple of more weeks, when arbitration rules will fall in their favor. Contending clubs like the Nationals are less inclined to make front-page moves so early in the season, but they too are keeping an eye on their young’ins. They’re trying to get a read on what these players are worth in preparation for a mid-season trade, and they’re definitely looking for someone who can contribute in the event they need to to patch a hole internally.

The Nationals, who are now 8-5 with their win over the Marlins on Monday night, are very comfortable with their Major League roster. Outside of a few bullpen/bench tweaks they might be preparing to make–like adding an effective left-handed relief pitcher for instance–they probably aren’t going to replace one of their veteran big leaguers with any of their prized prospects just yet. Of course, things will change quickly if one of their stars suffers a serious injury.

As Mike Rizzo proved last season with Bryce Harper, he isn’t afraid to call-up one of his young stars when the club needs a boost. There’s an outside shot that top prospects like Anthony Rendon and Brian Goodwin could be in the Majors by mid-summer, while other promising minor leaguers like Danny Rosenbaum, Christian Garcia, Eury Perez and Zach Walters could contribute earlier.

Two weeks in to the 2013 season, here are some of the notable performances from the Washington Nationals minor league system:

The Washington Nationals announced via Twitter they signed veteran right-handed relief pitcher Jeremy Accardo and veteran catcher Chris Snyder to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training.

Accardo, 31, played for Oakland and Cleveland last season. In 27 appearances he posted a 4.82 ERA and 1.554 WHIP in 27 appearances. He is an eight year MLB veteran with a career 10-20 record (all in relief) with a 4.30 ERA and 1.402 WHIP. In his best season in 2007, he saved 30 games for the Toronto Blue Jays with a 2.14 ERA. He suffered an injury in 2008 and was never the same pitcher.

Snyder will be 32 opening day. A nine-year veteran, last year he played in 76 games with the Houston Astros. He hit .176/.295/.308 with seven homers and 24 RBIs. He is a career .225/.329/.385 hitter with 77 homers and 297 RBIs and is considered a decent backstop with a good throwing arm. Snyder has put together four double-digit home run seasons, including 2008 when he hit a career-high 16.

According to reports, Snyder has an “out” clause that would require the Nats to allow him to become a free agent should he not make the roster.

Both players are short-term insurance for the Nats Major League roster. Accardo seems to have a tough battle to take a spot in an already deep bullpen, but Snyder could see significant playing time in the spring as the Nats will ease Wilson Ramos back in to playing shape after missing much of last season rehabbing from knee surgery. Snyder gives the Nats a veteran option at catcher should Ramos not be ready to break camp, though the team at this point expects Ramos to be healthy and ready for opening day.

I attended the May 3 Frederick Keys (Baltimore Orioles affiliate) game against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Texas Rangers affiliate) in Frederick, MD. The game featured a match-up between Cody Buckel for the Pelicans and Kyle Simon for the Keys.

Prior to the 11am game, I asked Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter) who to look out for on the Myrtle Beach team. I knew that Frederick was devoid of high level talent, so I wanted to focus on a player or two on the Pelicans to see what I could see with my untrained eye. The Professor is always accommodating on Twitter (even to plebeians such as myself) and responded with a list of players (I’ve added first names for clarity. “Cody Buckel, Roman Mendez, Odubel Herrera, Christian Villanueva, Tomas Telis, Jake Skole. Lots of talent.” Armed with this list I was off to Frederick to bake in the late-morning sun.

The Keys stadium sits hard between New Design Road and Mt. Olivet Cemetery (Francis Scott Key is buried there). The placement is a fascinating juxtaposition as minor league stadia see so many careers either head off to bigger challenges or die never to be heard from again. Enough about the setting, let’s look at a couple of players

Cody Buckel
Cody Buckel is a 19 year old, 6’ 1” 170 lb right-handed pitcher in the Texas Rangers organization. He was drafted by the Rangers in the second round (72nd overall) of the 2010 Rule 4 (amateur) draft out of Royal High School in Simi Valley, CA. He signed for $590,000. His first two seasons in professional baseball were played at the Rookie and Low-A levels and he did not show any issues with those assignments.

Buckel was assigned to High-A Myrtle Beach and came into the 2012 season as the 11th rated prospect in a deep Texas Rangers farm system by Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein. Baseball America ranked him as the Rangers No. 6 prospect after the 2011 season.

During the game, Buckel threw anywhere from 71 to 91 miles per hour (on the scoreboard radar) with his fastball seeming to sit in the high 80s, touching 90-91 at times when he needed it. He breezed through the Keys lineup for seven innings. He seemed to tolerate base runners only when he bored of breezing through the lineup. He allowed these runners so that he could show off other skills such as a pickoff move (to nab Tyler Kolodny in the second inning). Or to display his ability to get ground balls to double up that runner he granted access to first base (as he did twice in his seven innings).

The only potential wart arose during back-to-back at bats with Aaron Baker (a 6’ 2” 220 lb first baseman). In the fourth, Buckel went 71, 87 and 91 mph to set Baker down on three pitches. Baker came back up in the sixth and it looked like Buckel was going to try the exact same sequence. Baker got down 0-2 and then pulled an 86 mph pitch into right field for a single. Baker looked like he made an adjustment and Buckel thought (was hoping?) that Baker would not.

Buckel looks like a boy, but carried himself as a man on this day. The Keys had no answers for the questions he posed and Buckel seemed to know they would not. I imagine the Rangers will leave him at this level until the All-Star break and then reevaluate his assignment. I could see him end the year at AA. If he continues to progress, he could see Arlington in September 2014.

Quick hits

As I noted, the Frederick roster at the time had very little in the way of “prospecty” goodness (Dylan Bundy is there now so that statement is no longer factual). However, there were a few other interesting players on the day.

Kyle Simon: Simon started for the Keys and looks all the part of a power right-hander standing 6’ 5” and weighing 225 pounds. He was drafted in the fourth round in 2011 out of the University of Arizona and signed for $235,000. He threw 16 2/3 innings out of the bullpen in 2011 at Low-A and A and put up solid numbers. He was the 19th rated prospect in the Orioles organization by Baseball America prior to the 2012 season.

His 2012 has not been quite as successful as his short stint in the bullpen at the end of 2011 was. He was the antithesis on this day of Buckel with runners on. In the game, Simon worked quickly and relatively efficiently until a runner reached base. Then, his entire process changed, he labored and looked visibly flustered paying too much attention to runners on base. Moreover, he could not get the ground ball he needed when he needed it. He’s going to need to perform with runners on base in order to develop into a useful pitcher.

Ryan Berry: When I first saw Berry walking around the Frederick bullpen, I thought he was a coach. He had an “old” look to him. He looked like a guy stuck in the style of another generation, which is to say he looked like Val Kilmer in Wonderland. Then, he began to warm up in the bullpen and I realized that he was actually on the active roster. For the facial hair alone, he is a prospect.

Berry was signed out of Rice University in 2009 for a higher than “slot” amount of $417,600 for this ninth round pick of the Baltimore Orioles. The 23-year old was rated as the No. 15 prospect in the Orioles system prior to the 2012 season by Baseball America. Berry got in for the final inning and showed of a herky-jerky delivery with a bit of deception. However, that deception seems to be his only tool and I’m not sure he’s much more than a minor league reliever.

Vincent DiFazio: The 26-year old catcher is clearly not a prospect, but the Keys PA announcer certainly took notice of him by playing the opening music from the Sopranos as he walked to the plate for an at bat. He struck out on three pitches during one at bat (they all looked like breaking balls) and attacked the visitor’s dugout with aplomb afterward. He did hit cleanup for the Pelicans for this early morning tilt, but I imagine his development has stalled.

Jake Skole: The 6’ 1” 190 lb Skole was the first round pick (15th overall) in 2010 by the Texas Rangers out of a Georgia high school. He signed for signed for $1,557,000 He was rated as the No. 24 prospect in the Rangers organization by Baseball America prior to the 2012 season. Skole did not show much at the plate and seemed fooled quite often especially on what looked like breaking balls. He did make an effort to make contact at times seeming to “sell-out” to put bat to ball. I’d need to see him again to see if this was just a poor day at the dish.

I am not a scout and my baseball career fizzled out over three days of tryouts in my freshman year of high school. I was the classic all-run no-hit player. I do not have the eyes to see everything that a scout can see or that a player who has played at a high level can see. With that in mind, take the above as an attempt by a rank amateur to evaluate a prospect or two. Let me know your thoughts and thanks for reading.

Bryce Harper: Harper is off to his usual slow start in Syracuse, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially considering he is the youngest players in the International League. He’s hitting .220/.256/.375 with three doubles, one triple, one RBI and one steal and has two errors as well. As much as fans wanted to see him start the season in the majors, it’s become clear that he just isn’t ready yet (but he’s close).

Tyler Moore: Moore is off to a fantastic start, smacking five home runs in his first 10 games in AAA. What’s even more encouraging is that he has five walks to seven strikeouts and is hitting an overall line of .297/.372/.730. The improved discipline is a game-changer because up until this point, he’s been a guy who doesn’t walk a ton. He’s going to see some time in LF soon according to MASN’s Byron Kerr, which I imagine is so that the Nats can find a way to bring his power to D.C. easier (I don’t think Adam LaRoche is going anywhere this year). [Read more…]

The Potomac Nationals are thrilled to announce that on Sunday, January 29th, their 17th Annual Hot Stove Banquet is returning to the Hyatt Fairfax at Fair Lakes. Join the P-Nats for an evening of food, fun and camaraderie as the club heads down the home stretch of the offseason and looks toward Opening Day 2012.

Danny Rosenbaum, who has been named the 2011 Potomac Nationals Player of the Year, will be on hand to accept his award and greet fans. Rosenbaum, whose excellence earned him a promotion to AA for the last six weeks of the season, starred on the mound for Potomac in the 2011 campaign. The lefthander posted a 2.59 ERA in 20 starts for Potomac; in 132 innings he struck out 108 and walked just 41.

Rosenbaum’s signature moment came on June 4 in Wilmington: the southpaw out-dueled Noel Arguelles and tossed a complete-game shutout against the Blue Rocks. In nine innings, Rosenbaum allowed only three hits, struck out six and walked only one during the dominant outing.

In his final start with Potomac on July 31, Rosenbaum struck out 11 Frederick Keys over eight overpowering innings. He allowed just two hits in a 5-2 Nats win that offered a perfect exclamation point to Rosenbaum’s Potomac career.

P-Nats fans will also have their first chance to meet the team’s new manager, Brian Rupp. A special keynote speaker will be announced shortly to highlight a full program. In addition to a plated meal, the Nationals will host a cocktail hour and a silent auction to benefit S.P.A.R.K (Supporting Partnerships and Resources for Kids), formerly known as the Prince William County Public Schools Education Foundation.

Members of the Potomac Nationals’ Booster Club can attend the Hot Stove Banquet for just $40; non-members will be admitted for $45. All children 12 and under can get in for just $20.

As part of their ongoing efforts to support education and the local community, the Nationals will contribute all proceeds from the silent auction to S.P.A.R.K. The auction will feature memorabilia from all sports and professional teams around the country, as well as signed Nationals memorabilia. The auction will also include vacation packages, the opportunity to be GM for a day at a P-Nats home game in 2012, and much more. The silent auction will run from 5:30 until 7:45, while the Dinner and Program get underway at 6:30. Cocktails will be served from 5:30 until 6:30.

Tickets can only be purchased prior to the event; no payments will be taken at the door. Call 703-590-2311, extension 212 or email shooke@potomacnationals.com to sign up for one of the great days on the Potomac Nationals’ 2012 calendar!

The Hyatt Fairfax at Fair Lakes has undergone major renovations and will host the P-Nats in one of their versatile ballrooms. Conveniently located off Route 66, this AAA Three Diamond hotel in Fairfax Virginia is located within minutes of premier shopping malls, major corporate offices, both Dulles and Reagan National airports, and the landmark sights of Washington DC.

Check back on the Nationals’ website for an announcement of the Keynote Speaker and additional details for the Hot Stove Banquet.

The Harrisburg Senators, the Washington Nationals Double-A affiliate, is having their second annual Hot Stove Dinner on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey. Tickets are $65 each or a table of ten is $600. Net proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Program.

The Senators have several special guests committed including Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Development, Bob Boone; Assistant General Manager, Bryan Minnitti; Director of Player Development, Doug Harris; and Director of Minor League Operations, Mark Scialabba. Another special guest coming to the dinner is the new Senators Manager, Matt LeCroy.

Frank Howard will be a featured guest. During his 6 year tenure with the Dodgers, Howard was named NL Rookie of the Year in 1960 and also helped them win the 1963 World Series. Howard, who starred for the Washington Senators from 1965 – 1971, led the American League in home runs with 44 in 1968 and 1970.

Former Phillies great Bob Boone will be the night’s keynote speaker. During his time as a player, Boone was a four-time All-Star (1976, 1978, 1979 and 1983), won seven Rawlings Gold Gloves including two at ages 40 and 41. Boone went to the post season with the Phillies in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1980 and with the Angels in 1982 and 1986.

The evening begins with a cocktail hour at 6:00pm, followed by dinner at 7:00pm, and then the keynote speakers. Throughout the evening there will be a silent auction and, at the conclusion of the program, a raffle is taking place with the proceeds from both benefiting the RBI program. Some of the items to be raffled and auctioned include a Bryce Harper autographed ball, a Ryan Zimmerman autographed bat, a LeSean McCoy autographed jersey, and much more!

“We’re excited to begin the 2012 season with a great event benefiting the RBI program,” said Senators Team President Kevin Kulp. “It’ll give all of our fans a chance to talk baseball, and meet our new manager Matt LeCroy. What better way to spend a cold winter night than with fellow Senators fans talking baseball? Last year was our first Hot Stove Banquet and it was a resounding success. We look forward to building on that one and creating an even more powerful event. It is going to be a great night.”

The RBI program, started in 1989, is now in over 200 cities worldwide, and has provided over 100,000 boys and girls the opportunity to play baseball and softball. Through 2009, MLB clubs have drafted over 170 RBI participants. The program is designed to increase participation and interest in baseball while encouraging academic participation and achievement. The program also promotes greater inclusion of minorities into the game and teaches the value of teamwork.

The dinner is $65 per person, or $600 for a table of ten. Tickets are available online through the Senators website at www.senatorsbaseball.com or by calling Emily Winslow at 231-4444 ext. 109. No tickets will be sold the day of the event. The deadline to purchase a ticket for this wonderful event is Monday, January 30th.

Updated: Bob Boone has been added. Brad Peacock was traded to Oakland so will no longer be part of dinner.

CARLOS DELGADO TO HEADLINE CHIEFS HOT STOVE DINNER Newest Wall of Fame inductee will be joined by Beasley, Bynum, Peacock

Carlos Delgado will be inducted into the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame on February 3. (Photo: Chiefs Website)

Syracuse, NY—The Syracuse Chiefs, Triple-A Affiliate of the Washington Nationals, are pleased to announce that former Major League All-Star Carlos Delgado will headline the guest list at the team’s annual Hot Stove Dinner & Silent Auction. New Chiefs manager Tony Beasley and Chiefs players Brad Peacock and Seth Bynum will join Delgado at the head table.

Delgado, who appeared in 181 games for the Chiefs during his Minor League career, will be inducted into the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame in a special ceremony held at the Hot Stove. The slugging first baseman spent smacked 43 career home runs in a Chiefs uniform, primarily during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. Delgado was a key component of the 1994 Chiefs team that reached the Governors’ Cup finals.

A native of Puerto Rico, Delgado enjoyed a 17-year Major League career with the Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets, compiling a career batting average of .280 with 473 home runs. He was a two-time All-Star (2000 & 2003) and also won a Silver Slugger award in 2003 when he led the big leagues with 145 RBI.

“We are thrilled that Carlos Delgado will be able to attend this year’s Hot Stove to take his rightful place in the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame,” said Wall of Fame Selection Committee Chairman Ron Gersbacher. “He was the driving force behind one of the most potent offenses in franchise history and this honor is well deserved.”

Beasley guided the Double-A Harrisburg Senators to an 80-62 record last season, good enough to win the Eastern League’s Western Division. He was named to the managerial post in Syracuse earlier this month. Beasley is a three-time winner of Baseball America’s Manager of the Year award.

Pitching prospect Brad Peacock played at three levels of the Washington organization last year. The right-hander began the 2011 season in Harrisburg, where he was 10-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 16 games through July 4. Peacock was promoted to Syracuse after the All-Star Break and after allowing seven earned runs in his first start for the Chiefs he allowed only 10 more over his next eight outings. Peacock closed out the year by allowing only one earned run in 12 big league innings for the Nationals (0.75 ERA) over three appearances (two starts).

Peacock was selected as the Eastern League’s Pitcher of the Year and the Washington Nationals’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He is currently rated the second-best prospect in the Nationals chain by MiLB.com and he is third on Baseball America’s list.

Fan favorite Seth Bynum will return to the Washington organization in 2012 after signing a Minor League contract with the Nationals this off-season. Bynum has spent the majority of the last three campaigns in a Chiefs uniform and was named to the International League’s mid-season All-Star team in 2009. The infielder has hit 43 home runs in 306 career Triple-A games.

ADDED: Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Development Bob Boone has been added to the guest list for the Chiefs Hot Stove Dinner and Silent Auction.

Boone will be accompanied at the event by Nationals Assistant General Manager Bryan Minniti, Director of Player Development Doug Harris, and Director of Minor League Operations Mark Scialabba. The Nationals contingent will join recently announced guests Carlos Delgado, Tony Beasley and Seth Bynum at the head table.

Four-time Major League All-Star catcher Bob Boone has been a member of Washington’s front office since December 2004. Boone enjoyed a 19-year playing career as a catcher for Philadelphia, Anaheim, and Kansas City and was a member of the Phillies team that captured the 1980 World Series. The native Californian won seven Rawlings Gold Gloves in his career and held the Major League record for games caught in a career (2225) at the time of his retirement in 1990. Boone has worked in the front offices of the Philadelphia and Cincinnati organizations in addition to his tenure with the Nationals and he has also managed the Royals (1994-1997) and Reds (2001-2003).

“It is a tradition for our manager to attend the Hot Stove Dinner and we are glad that our fans will have a chance to meet Tony Beasley at this year’s event,” said Chiefs General Manager John Simone. “In addition, having players of the caliber of Seth Bynum and Brad Peacock will make the night that much better.”

The Hot Stove will take place on Friday, February 3 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Liverpool. A silent auction and cocktail hour will get underway at 5:30pm with the dinner program set to start at 7:00pm. The event will benefit the Syracuse Chiefs Charitable Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation which implements programs to improve the health and educational opportunities of families and youth in the Central New York community and provides financial assistance to other 501(c)(3) organizations with similar purposes.

Tickets for the Hot Stove are $55 for adults and $25 for children 12 and younger or $500 for a table of ten. Fans may purchase tickets in person at the Chiefs ticket office at Alliance Bank Stadium or by calling 315-474-7833 during normal business hours, Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm.

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